Lady Gaga's Dog Walker Ryan Fischer Details the "Hardest Part" of Recovering From Shooting

Three months after he was shot while walking Lady Gaga's dogs, Ryan Fischer gave an update on his slow recovery and explained the "hardest part" of the process.

By Ryan Gajewski May 25, 2021 2:03 AMTags
Watch: Lady Gaga's Dognappers Have Been Arrested

Ryan Fischer is giving an update about his ongoing health journey, three months after he was shot while walking three of Lady Gaga's French bulldogs.

The pop star's dog walker took to Instagram on Monday, May 24 to share a photo of himself sitting on the beach in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans while putting his bare feet in the sand and looking up toward the sky. 

He began his caption with a series of questions he says he gets from various people who have heard about the attack that took place Feb. 24 and required him to undergo multiple surgeries to repair a collapsed lung. On April 29, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that five individuals had been arrested for their alleged role in the dognapping case, with each suspect pleading not guilty to the charges.

"'You're Ryan! You got shot. You were shot! Where were you shot? Where'd they shoot you?'" Ryan wrote in his new post. "Over the past few weeks, after charges were announced and leveled against those who stole the boys and attempted to murder me, I continue to find myself on the receiving end of several conversations like this. With no arrow drawn to my wounds and no sign that reads, 'I'm Ryan! I was shot,' people still come up to me on my morning walks to let me know that I, in fact, had been shot. And that my given name continues to be Ryan."

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Ryan explained that the "support and well wishes have been incredible," but that he is continuing to struggle with navigating this gradual recovery process. Making this moment even more challenging is the fact that he is still unable to work.

Instagram

"Along with the media attention and trauma recovery, I am - for the first time in a very long time - without purpose, which has been the hardest part of this chapter," he shared. "Because I'm not yet in the proper headspace to care for dogs (whenever I perceive a dog is in danger I go on high alert and then break down and cry after), my purpose for the last ten years has suddenly vanished."

Lady Gaga/Instagram

Ryan ended the caption with a hopeful message, saying he is "excited to share in my bumbling exploration and storytelling with you along the way. To a purposeful journey!"

This is not the first time he has detailed his recuperation following the incident during which two of the three dogs, Koji and Gustav, were abducted by an armed robber. They were safely returned two days later.

On March 1, Ryan broke his silence about the traumatic event with a post to Instagram stating he was "still in recovery from a very close call with death." 

At the time of the shooting, Lady Gaga publicly shared her support for Ryan by tweeting, "You risked your life to fight for our family. You're forever a hero."